01 · the cities
San Jose
San Jose is Silicon Valley's anchor city, much bigger than San Francisco by population, and culturally underrated because everyone drives through it on the way somewhere else. The Vietnamese food scene (especially in Little Saigon) is one of the best in the country. The weather is impossibly mild, the Santa Cruz Mountains rise to the west, and the tech money funds a genuinely excellent restaurant scene.
full dispatch→Colorado Springs
Colorado Springs sits at the foot of Pikes Peak (which inspired America the Beautiful), with the Garden of the Gods' red rock formations rising on the city's western edge. The Air Force Academy chapel is one of the most striking pieces of modernist religious architecture in the country. It's drier and sunnier than people expect, with strong evangelical and military communities shaping the city's character. Outdoorsy in a quiet way.
full dispatch→02 · the money
Median rent
Median rent
$3,470/mo
$1,733/mo
$1,737/mo less than San Jose (100%)
Median home price
Median home price
$1.8M
$463k
$1.3M less than San Jose
State income tax
State income tax
9.3%
4.4%
Gross left after rent
Gross left after rent
$4,088/mo
$6,234/mo
Colorado Springs has $2,146/mo more gross after rent at $100k
Gross left after rent reflects state income tax but not federal, based on $100k salary. Enter your salary to find your ideal city.
03 · the weather
Pleasant days/yr
Pleasant days/yr
283 days
184 days
99 fewer than San Jose
Extreme heat days
Extreme heat days
19 days
0 days
days above 95°F per year
Extreme cold days
Extreme cold days
0 days
75 days
days below 20°F per year
San Jose has 19 more days above 95°F each year than Colorado Springs. Colorado Springs drops below 20°F on 75 more days per year than San Jose.
04 · the life
OutdoorScore
OutdoorScore
70 / 100
71 / 100
Nonstop flights
Nonstop flights
29 routes
11 routes
18 fewer direct routes than San Jose
Metro size
Metro size
1.9M metro
769k metro
San Jose has 1.4x more events per month than Colorado Springs.
the verdict
3
San Jose
categories won
5
Colorado Springs
categories won
Colorado Springs wins on money. San Jose has the edge on weather and lifestyle.
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